SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Southeast Missouri 14, Western Illinois 2
Eastern Kentucky 6, Maryland-Eastern Shore 4
(Dayton, Ohio)
Northern Illinois 7,
@Belmont 5
@Jacksonville 5,
Jacksonville State 2
UT Martin 1, North Alabama 0 (Jacksonville, Ala.)
@South Alabama 8-7,
Tennessee Tech 1-3
Toledo
at Austin Peay (cancelled)
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 14, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (5-1) put together a dominating 14-2 win to even its series with Western Illinois (1-4) Saturday afternoon at Capaha Field.
SEMO racked up six extra base hits, including two doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs to cruise past the Leathernecks.
A two-run home run by Alex Dorethy gave WIU a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
The Leathernecks early lead was short-lived as SEMO immediately answered with eight runs, including three in the second and five in the fourth.
With two on and one out after Hunter Southerland was hit by a pitch and Turner Fritts walked, Austin Bazevic blasted his second home run of the season over the right field wall to give the Redhawks a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
In the fourth inning, SEMO added five more runs with the help of two doubles, a passed ball and one base hit. Peyton Faulkner smacked a two-RBI double to right field and both Blazevic and Southerland scored on the play. After a pitching change, Connor Basler greeted WIU reliever Austin Emanuel with a double and Faulkner scored. Basler later touched home on a passed ball and Wade Stauss singled home Brett Gonzalez to push SEMO's lead to 8-2.
WIU continued to have issues on the mound in the fifth inning where two walks, a pair of hit batsmen and wild pitch led to a run. Then, with the bases loaded and two outs, Tyler Wilber ripped a triple to right scoring Basler, Faulkner and Alex Nielsen. Stauss knocked in Wilber on an ensuing triple to make it 13-2.
SEMO put its fifth win of the season on ice with a leadoff home run by Trent Pobst in the eighth inning.
The Redhawks outhit WIU, 11-6, with Wilber going 3-for-4 with a run scored, triple, walk and three RBI to lead the way. Stauss followed with two hits and Blazevic scored three runs and had three RBI.
Noah Niznik pitched strong to get his first win of the season. Niznik struck out four, scattered five hits and allowed two runs in five innings. He also recorded five fly ball outs and four groundball outs.
Dorethy (0-2) suffered the loss. He was roughed up for six runs on three hits in 3.2 innings. WIU's bullpen allowed eight runs and six hits, and walked four over the final 4.1 frames.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, MARYLAND-EASTERN SHORE 4
DAYTON, Ohio - Newcomer A.J. Lewis had three hits and drove in two runs, and freshman Jacob Ferris pitched three shutout innings in his first collegiate start as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team beat the University of Maryland Eastern Shore 6-4 on Saturday at Wright State University’s Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.
The Colonels (5-2) drew first blood with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Christian Lucio scored on a ground out and then Marcus Hill brought home Lewis with a bunt single down the third base line.
Lewis had a two-run single up the middle in a 3-run third inning that gave EKU a 5-0 advantage.
The Hawks platted one in the sixth and three in the top of the eighth to get within 5-4. Devynn Hancock had a two-run double in the eighth. With the bases loaded and the margin down to one, Nick Laster came in to pitch for Eastern and struck out two straight batters to end the threat.
Lewis finished 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Nick Howie was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to two. Ferris allowed just one hit, did not walk a batter and struck out one in three innings of work.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 7, BELMONT 5
NASHVILLE - Baseball dropped a 7-5 decision to Northern Illinois on a wet Saturday afternoon after the Belmont comeback fell just short.
The Northern Illinois University Huskies got off to a hot start on Saturday afternoon, scoring three runs on four hits in the first inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Belmont struggled to answer offensively and allowed two more runs in the top of the third falling behind 5-0.
Belmont had its biggest threat of the game so far in the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) got things going with the first hit of the day for the Bruins, sending a single to left center field and would advance to second on a throwing error by the NIU pitcher to get a runner in scoring position. After the next two batters flew and struck out, the game would go into a brief rain delay. After a 10-minute break in the action, senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) laced a single through the left side, pushing Campbell to scoring position. With runner on the corners, the next batter flew out and Belmont ended the inning scoreless after stranding runners on the corners.
The Huskies continued its offensive onslaught, scoring its sixth run of the afternoon after stringing a couple of base hits together to take a 6-0 lead after the top of the fourth.
The Bruins finally got some offense going in the bottom of the fourth to begin to chip away at the NIU lead. Freshman Tommy Crider (Madison, Ala.) became the first base runner of the inning after he was hit by the first pitch of the inning. Senior Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) followed that with a single to shallow left field, putting two on for the Bruins. Campbell continued his hot streak blasting a two-out triple to deep left center driving in both Crider and Holland to put Belmont on the board. After four complete innings, Belmont trailed 6-2.
Belmont dug in defensively and kept Northern Illinois off the board for the next three innings setting up a late rally. In the bottom of the seventh sophomore Logan Jarvis (Franklin, Tenn.) started the inning off with a single down the right line and beating the throw to get on base. Freshman Grayson Taylor (Cullman, Ala.) and Ehrhart followed that with a double and triple respectively to narrow the Huskies lead 6-4. Senior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) then delivered an RBI to make it a one-run game.
After seven complete innings, Northern Illinois had a slim 6-5 lead, but plated what would be its final run of the night in the top of the eighth to jump ahead 7-5.
Belmont was unable to answer in the final two innings, falling just short of the comeback ultimately falling 7-5.
JACKSONVILLE 5, JACKSONVILLE STATE 2
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville scored three runs fourth en route to a 5-2 win on Saturday over Jacksonville State at JU's John Sessions Stadium.
With the win, the Dolphins (2-4) claimed ty night series after walking off with a 2-1 decision on Friday night. The Gamecocks (2-4) will look to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday at 12 p.m. CST.
Jax State starter Trey Fortner skirted around trouble in the first three innings before getting key outs, but ran in to trouble in the fourth after a leadoff single followed by a hit by a pitch. A walk loaded the bases prior to Duncan Hunter's RBI single through the right side. A JSU fielding miscue opened the door for JU to add two more runs in the frame off Fortner. Redshirt junior induced a double play to get the Gamecocks out of the frame.
The Dolphins manufactured a run in the fifth, scoring the run on a wild pitch.
For the second consecutive contest, Jax State struggled against JU pitchers. Dolphin starter Trent Palmer tossed six no-hit innings and picked up a win. Palmer tallied seven of the nine Jax State strikeouts. The Gamecocks were limited to a pair of base runners against Palmer – both via walks.
JU went to the bullpen to start the seventh and the first two Gamecocks reached base. Senior Nic Gaddis opened the frame by being hit by a pitch from JU's Austin Temple, followed by a walk issued to Isaac Alexander. Junior Andrew Naismith connected in JSU's first hit of the game with a single to right field, pushing Gaddis across the plate and Alexander to third. Gaddis Naismith was thrown out at second base trying to stretch the single to a double. Sophomore Cole Frederick recorded an RBI with a ground out to the shortstop. Junior Tre has reached base in all six game this season. Kirklin added JSU's second hit with a two-out single.
JU extended the lead with an RBI in the eighth.
UT MARTIN 1, NORTH ALABAMA 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team issued a 1-0 shutout this evening to North Alabama behind the arm of Winston Cannon.
Today's shutout marks the first time the Skyhawks have not allowed a run in a contest since May 3, 2017 when they blanked Alabama A&M by a score of 6-0 and the first 1-0 shutout since April 7, 2017 as UT Martin claimed the victory over Morehead State, also with the help of Cannon.
At the dish, UT Martin (2-2) was led by Sean Dixson as he drove in the lone run of the contest and also tallied a double. Casey Harford and Blake Davis each racked up a pair of hits while Jordan Stoner also collected a base knock and swiped a base.
Cannon (1-1) was nearly untouchable in his 6.2-inning start on the mound today. The Cookeville, Tenn. native allowed just four hits and a walk while fanning eight Lions in the process. The Skyhawk bullpen was superb as well as David Hussey tossed 1.1 inning, allowing just one hit and sat down one via the strikeout. Zach Denney came on in the ninth to close the door and notch his first save of the season (second of the young year for the Skyhawks) and allowed just two walks.
UT Martin looked to get started off hot as Stoner led off the game with a single followed shortly by Dixson reaching first on a single but to no avail. Cannon would make quick work of North Alabama as he needed just eight pitches to sit down the lions in the first frame.
Cannon would work out of a pickle in the second as he retired the first two batters of the inning via the punchout but allowed a back-to-back-to-back singles to load up the bases. The righty kept a cool head and whiffed the next batter to keep the game scoreless. He then worked quickly through the third and fourth innings before working around a leadoff single in the fifth to get out of the frame unscathed.
UT Martin found its lone run in the fifth inning as Harford tallied a two-out single just before Dixson ripped a double to plate Harford and give the Skyhawks the 1-0 lead.
Cannon kept chugging along as he retired the side in order in the sixth, ringing up two via the strikeout. In the seventh, he forced a flyout to center followed by a groundout back to himself before issuing a walk which allowed Hussey to come into the game. Hussey would not be rattled though as he forced a flyout to right to end the inning.
Hussey fanned the first batter of the eighth and worked around an error and double before forcing a popout and groundout to escape the North Alabama threat.
Denney would get the call in the ninth to close things out for UT Martin. He issued a leadoff walk but the runner would get caught stealing to erase the runner. Denney would allow another free base but found a friendly ground ball come back his way and recorded the double play to end the game.
SOUTH ALABAMA 8-7, TENNESSEE TECH 1-3
MOBILE, Ala. - Too many missed opportunities with runners on base proved the difference maker for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles fell twice to South Alabama in doubleheader action at Stanky Field. The Jaguars defeated Tech 8-1 in game one and 7-3 in the second contest.
Tech stranded a total of 24 runners in its pair of contests against the Jaguars, including 13 in the first contest of the day. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases on two separate occasions early in the contest, but failed to bring home a run in either situation.
After two quick outs to the start the game, Tech rallied with a double, hit-by-pitch and walk to fill the bases in the first. A foul out to first base ended the first threat, and South Alabama pounced on the momentum shift.
The Jags smashed a pair of home runs and drove in three runs in the first, then followed it up with a another run in the second to take a 4-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles seemed to have an answer in the fourth, with junior Anthony Carrera kicking off the frame with a single to center field. Freshman John Dyer followed with a four-pitch walk and junior John Elford loaded the bags with his own bloop single to center.
South Alabama starter Drake Nightengale rallied, using 10 pitches to record three straight strikeouts to get out of the frame unscathed. The Jaguars added a run to its lead in the fourth and three more for good measure in the seventh.
Tech collected its sole run of the first contest in the sixth, a solo home run off the bat of Elford, the catcher's first of 2019.
In game two, Tech was the first to strike on the scoreboard. Following a quick out, shortstop Jay Meuselaced a double to left center field. All-American outfielder Kevin Strohschein followed, ripping his own double to left field for an RBI.
In the third, Tech's lone error of the contest proved costly. South Alabama tied the contest with a solo home run to center field with one out. The next batter reached on the Golden Eagle miscue, sparking what would become a two-out rally that finished with a three-run home run and 5-1 lead.
The purple and gold answered in the fifth, with Meuse kicking off the action with a single to left center field. Later in the frame, with runners on first and second, first baseman Jason Hinchman connected with the first pitch he saw and ripped it down the left field line for an RBI. Elford followed with his own single, a chip shot through the right side that drove in another Tech run.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Jaguars responded with a pair of their own, recapturing the four-run edge. That lead would hold for the remainder of the contest.
On the day, Meuse led the Tech offense with four hits in nine at bats, scoring twice. Strohschein and Elford each recorded three hits as well.